The Promises We Make
by Ausiewanab
Summary: FINISHED! The one promise we make that we hope never comes true, does, forcing Race Bannon to fulfill his promise.
1. The Circle

Disclaimer: I own Kai, Meredith, Keith Wilson(Will) and anybody else that   
wasn't in the show. JQ and friends belong to HB and AOL Time Warner.  
  
  
The Promises We Make   
Chapter 1  
By Kara   
  
  
"Hey Bannon, wait up!" Yelled the man as he ran haphazardly down the narrow hall. His arms swung from side to side, and his black trench coat waved behind him, giving the appearance of a cape. As he made the sharp right turn, he almost crashed head on with the subject he was running to catch.  
  
"Slow down, Will," the white-haired gentleman said. He stood tall, towering over the 5'9" man who was chasing him. "You wanted me; here I am."   
  
"I wanted to let you know that Jessica is going to spend the night at my house." Keith Wilson said.  
  
"Since when?" Race Bannon said, with a voice of anger.   
  
To those who know Roger "Race" Bannon best, knew that his five year old daughter was his pride and joy. When it came down to the end, he was the deciding factor in his daughter's life. Anyone who saw him and his daughter together, Jessica, saw the perfect picture of a father and daughter relationship. But Keith Wilson, or Will to his friends, knew the truth. The same time Race and his wife, Estella, were pregnant, Will and his wife, Meredith, were also pregnant. The joke around the agency was that Will and Race, who where partners, not only shared an office, but their sex life. While both were expecting around the same time, both were also hoping for boys, someone to carry on the tradition. Meredith was the first to go into labor, giving birth to a healthy baby boy named Kai Andrew Wilson. When Estella went into labor, all Race could think about was all he could teach his new son, but when the news came down that it was a girl, only Will knew the hurt and disappointment Race felt. Though he would never let on about it, you could see it in his eyes when someone mentioned his daughter's name.  
  
"Since your wife called and left a message saying that she's going out of town on a dig for the next week, and if I remember correct, you have a meetings at Quantico for the next four days."  
  
"Shit. Why does she do this? No offense, but does it hurt her to stay and take care of Jess for four days? I cancel things every now and then for her to go out."  
  
"It's okay. Mer and I are more than happy to take care of Jess for you. You know that! Hell, I'd even do it if I wasn't her Godfather." Will said with a smile on his face. After Kai and Jessica were born, Race, and Estella decided that they wanted Will and Meredith to be Jessica's guardians, and in return, they became Kai's. With both households having a member in I-1, both knew at any given point that they might not return, which is why they decided they wanted the other to carry on for them. In the end, it mostly meant that one could leave their kid with the other while they were away.  
  
"I don't know what I'd ever do without you. It seems that you watch Jess more than we watch her, or even Kai. We owe you big time."  
  
"Don't worry," Will said as he brushed his raven hair away from his eyes, "you'll repay us someday."  
  
  
12 years later  
  
The sun was bright as it shown through the glass window. With dark clouds looming in the west, the sun was shinning with full power, trying to use up what strength it had left, before it would be snuffed out. In the near distance, echoes of laughter could be heard as three teens, two boys, and a girl, ran around the yard, using up what time they had left before the evening hours kicked in.  
  
As the sun slowly crept away from the east wall, the white haired, middle aged man sighed. He stared at the figures playing outside his window. Time had been cruel to this man, not allowing him to enjoy what the life he had created.  
  
It had been eight years to the day since Race Bannon had been assigned to case 0-37. In the eight years that he had been the body guard, tutor, and general nanny to Jonathan Quest, he had also become a lab assistant to Dr. Benton Quest, head of security, and a member of the family. When he first started working on case 0-37, it was only Jonny, Dr. Quest and himself. Since then, the family had increased. Six months into his assignment, Hadji, an orphan Indian boy, joined the family after a visit to India. Three years later, Jessie, Race's daughter, joined the family part time, which later became full time.  
  
He closed his eyes and propped his feet up on the edge of the window sill. His face only showed thirty years of his near fortieth birthday. He then opened his eyes and stared at the gold, thick ring that was placed on the ring finger of his left hand . The sound of laughter twirled in his head as his right index finger traced the contour of the gold band. Eighteen years, coincidently, to the day, was when he got married, ironically, it was the same day, eight years later, when he signed the papers end the marriage with Estella Velasquez Bannon. Life for him, was one big coincidence, nothing good happening, nothing out of the ordinary. Just like the ring, his life went in a full circle, always coming back to this day.  
  
He then took the ring off his finger, and squeezed it in his palm. With a staggered head movement, he looked out the window. The bright golden rays had been replaced with dark threads, and the once sweet sound of laughter was quickly displaced by the loud crash of thunder. With the presence of a storm brewing, and the hours of the day trickling down, he spun his chair around and looked at the picture on his desk.   
  
"Incoming call for Race Bannon, on line two."   
  
"Thank-you IRIS." He said with a startled voice. He then picked up the phone . "Bannon speaking."  
  
"Race, it's Bennett."  
  
"Commander Bennett. What do I bestow the honor?"  
  
"Wilson."  
  
"Will? What's that old boy been up to?"  
  
"Race..." the man on the other side paused.  
  
"Spill it, Bennett. Your not one for dramatic pauses."  
  
"He died this morning in a plane crash, along with his wife Meredith."  
  
"Shit." He replied. Once again this cursed day had taken it's toll. He then placed the phone in it's cradle, and laid his hands over his forehead as the golden ring dropped on the floor. He could not hear the voice of his one time Commander trying to reach him, nor did he hear the ringing sound of the golden sphere, as it hit the hardwood floor. All he could hear was mumbled sounds of days forgotten. The circle of his life, was once again, at the beginning.  
  
  
"We are the Military men. We don't cry, we don't whine, we don't die. We are the heroes kids dream about."   
  
"Will, how many times do I have to tell you, stop watching GI-Joe?"   
  
"Sure, Race! But only when you stop watching it in the office." Will said as he gave his partner a playful punch. He was careful of where he gave it. He knew well that the wrong place, while Race was driving, could end up leading to a very painful death.   
  
"Will, I mean this only in a good way, but go to the gym!"  
  
"You know, I keep telling myself that, I think I'll wait until Kai's old enough to drag me there." Keith Wilson said. He paused as he thought about the question he was about to ask. "So, did you ever decide about letting Jessica take gymnastics?"   
  
Race's face turned sour. It was the one topic he didn't want to talk about. Sure, he was going to sign the papers, and write the check, but it disappointed him. He always wanted his Ponchita, as he called her, to be just like him. He wanted her to be interested in martial arts, and know how to flip a person over, and be able to defend herself. But instead, his five year old little girl wanted to learn how to do flip herself over, and do cartwheels.   
  
"I guess she can do it. Nothing really stopping her. If I didn't sign the paper, Stella would've without questioning it. She thinks that it's good for Jessie to have a normal life, and claims it would be more normal if I was around more. She's one to talk."  
  
With that, Will knew it was time to be quiet. From experience, he knew when the topic of being home came up, that it was time to change the topic or Race would just end up more angry than what he was when he started.   
  
  
"Incoming fax from Washington."   
  
"I accept IRIS." Race replied with a solemn voice, shutting down his thoughts. He then walked over to his fax machine and pulled the paper out. He took a glance at it, shoved it into his pocket, and left the room. He then walked out of his office, and into a long, dark hall. The Quest Compound was bigger inside than it looked. His office, which happened to be on the east side of the building, was away from the rest of the house. He normally didn't spend much time in his office. It was only used for meetings, or doing paper work. Very little of the security, which was his forte, was located in that area. The main purpose of having his office away from the main part was for the peace and quite it brought.   
  
His long journey down the corridor finally ended at a small den. The den, which housed a big screen TV, a couch, game systems, and almost anything else a teenager would want. It was on the other side of the building, way away from his office. With the a clash of thunder, Race looked around.   
  
"Jonny, have you seen Jessie anywhere?" Race said to the figure that was lying on the couch watching TV.  
  
"Umm... I think she's down in the lab helping Dad with something." Said the young blonde, Jonny Quest, as he focused on the program he was watching.  
  
"Thanks." Race said as he turned around and walked in the same direction he had came from. The lab, which was downstairs, was the state of the art work place for Dr. Benton Quest. It featured everything a scientist could want, and then some. Most of the items that could be found in the lab, were products that Dr. Quest had invented. Not only did the lab feature science equipment, but it also had the camera collection that Dr. Quest had. Almost every camera made in the past could be found there, along with some new digital and 35mm cameras. When his journey ended at the bottom of the stairs, he opened the lab door. Normally he would knock, but today was different. He needed to find his daughter, he needed to make sure nothing had happened to her, and that this cursed day hadn't taken her soul along with the soul of his once best friend.  
  
"Dad! What's wrong?" Jessie asked. She had noticed the door opening without a knock, and knew something was wrong. She was working in the darkroom, getting ready to develop the pictures she had just taken for Dr. Quest's research. She wasn't expecting anyone to be in the lab but her. Dr. Quest had gone to the light house to work on some files, Hadji was in his room studying, and Jonny, well, Jonny never came down here as much as she did. He always preferred to be with her father.  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
"Okay." She said with hesitation. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what she had done. Normally when he spoke those words in that tone of voice, it meant she had been caught and was about to get in trouble.  
"Do you remember Keith and Meredith Wilson?" Race asked, trying not to get teary eyed.  
  
Jessie searched her memory until it locked on to the face of a man in his mid thirties, with black hair, and a round, soft face. Instantly, she remembered a picture, one that had him, a brunette haired woman, who looked like she was only in her late twenties, and a raven haired boy, who was the same age as her. "Kai's parents, right?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well..." She said as she tilted her head, trying to get a good look at her fathers face.   
  
"They died today."  
  
Her mouth dropped as she tried to find the words that her mind was trying to say. She then took a deep breathe. "All three of them." She said with disbelief.   
  
"No, just Will and Meredith."  
  
"How... where... what about Kai?"  
  
"He's fine. Start packing, we leave in the morning for Hawaii." 


	2. The Promise

Disclaimer: I own Kai, Meredith, Keith Wilson(Will) and anybody else that   
wasn't in the show. JQ and friends belong to HB and AOL Time Warner.  
  
  
The Promises We Make   
Chapter 2  
By Kara   
  
  
"I swear, Bannon. We live our lives in a suit case."  
  
"That's why you should buy a new one!" Race said as he pointed to an old, ragged, torn, suit case carried by his friend and partner, Will.  
  
  
"You know, I should. Did you know my parents bought this at a garage sale for me when I was in Cub Scouts?"  
  
"So that's why it has George Washington's initials on it. You got it at his garage sale!"  
  
"Hey, your only a year younger than me!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just get on the plane."  
  
"You know, someday, I'll own my own plane, and be able to fly all over the world!" Will said with a dreamy look in his eyes.  
  
"When that day comes, mind giving me a lift?"  
  
"Only if you pay for the gas!"  
  
  
Race sat in the pilots chair, of the Quest Jet he had been flying for years. The jet, which was designed by himself and Dr. Quest, was used for all the flying needs that the Quest's had. Even though Race didn't own it, the Quest Jet was always available for use without any questions asked.  
  
"Okay Dad! We are gassed up and ready!" Jessie shouted as she tried to speak over the sound of the roaring plane.   
  
It was 2am and they were about to leave for a long flight to Hawaii. The memorial service was in 19 hours, and Race wanted to get a jump start on the journey to put his friend to rest. Since the phone call he had received, he learned that his old comrade died in a the plane he was piloting. The crash was suspicious, and the boys at I-1 felt that it wasn't an accident.   
  
The first five hours of the non stop twelve hour flight was spent in silence.   
  
"He wrote to me last year." Jessie said breaking the silence.  
  
"Who?" Race asked. He was caught off guard by his daughter's statement.  
  
"Kai. He wrote me, and the bad part is, I never wrote him back." She said as she looked out the window. "I didn't know what to say to him. He wrote about his life, and what had been going on since we last saw each other. I didn't recognize him any more. He's changed, not for bad, but he's just not the same person that I was friends with when I was eight. I've always wondered since then, if we would still be friends if you and Mom hadn't got... divorced." She trailed off quietly.   
  
Race closed his eyes. How would things be if he hadn't got divorced. Would he still be friends with Will? Would he have to worry about Kai looking at his daughter different like he does with Jonny and Hadji? Would he still hold resentment towards Jessie?  
  
"You never told me he wrote you."  
  
"Sorry. I just filed the letter away. After I read it, I knew I wasn't the same person, just like he wasn't the same. When he's telling me all about his school, about surfing, about Hawaii, what am I suppose to tell him? Oh, I go to a ritzy private high school, and I travel the globe, saving it from mad scientist who think they should own it. I also live with my dad's employer half of the year, and the other half with my mom on some remote dig. Life couldn't be much better."  
  
"Well, your only telling the truth."  
  
"Yeah, but it's a truth no one wants to read. Our lives are totally different. He's taken the path that has been taken before. I, on the other hand, am still trying to figure out where the heck I'm going, because my path looks really different from his."  
  
  
Time passed in a quicker pace than normal. The memorial service, which was being held in place of a burial, was at a small area of a private beach. The area was basically the backyard of the Wilson residents.   
  
  
  
"So Race, what do you want to do when you retire?"  
  
"Sit down, watch TV and drink a beer!" Will chuckled. It was a growing joke about the fact that he and Race never got to sit down and watch TV anymore. "How about you, Will? You seem intent on this whole retiring thing."  
  
"Hawaii. I'm ready to go back home. Did you know that's where my mom was born?"  
  
"So that's why you own a hula skirt!"  
  
"Funny!"  
  
  
The house was small, but the land was big. Far away memories told Race that this was the place where Will's mom was born. He had been here before, but only in pictures and stories. Never in real life.  
  
"I'm guessing that's Kai." Jessie said, pointing to a boy with sandy blonde hair that was cut long in the back, with his natural wavy hair cut above his ears, and placed so the wave went towards the back. The typical surfer boy cut.   
  
He was gathered in a small crowd of people, mostly telling him how sorry they were, and the rest were patting him on the shoulders. He turned around and looked directly at Jessie and Race. His face was pale, and his eyes were dull looking. He wore a black polo type shirt with black pants. He had a tight looking necklace around his neck, which only reflected his deep tanned skin. He spoke to someone in the group, and then walked towards the two newcomers. His eyes searched them, looking to make sure they were who he thought they were. In his eyes, nothing had changed in almost eight years. To him, it felt just like the last day he saw his former best friend.   
  
"Kai?" Jessie said, with a soft, questioning voice.  
  
"You," he said with a grin, "haven't changed a bit." It was the first time he had smiled in the past two days, but for some reason, it seemed like the thing to do. He then looked at the white haired man, "Just like I remember, white hair and all."  
  
  
"Hey kid! Where's your old man?" Race said as he rustled the raven haired mopped top boy.  
  
"Daddy's in the garage." the young boy announced with pride. He then tilted his head and tried to look behind the towering man, in hope of finding his best friend. Race laughed.  
  
"She's coming."  
  
"Where is she?" Kai said with excitement.   
  
"Behind you!" Screamed the red-headed girl. "Tag your it!"  
  
"Hey, be careful you two!" Yelled Will as he walked out of his suburban garage to find out what the commotion was all about.  
  
"Ah, what I would do to be seven again!" Race said.  
  
"You mean, your older than seven?"  
  
  
"How you holding up kid?" Race said. It had been years since he last saw the boy, but yet, seeing him right now, it only felt like days.  
  
"I've been better." Kai said. He then took a deep breath. "I'm just ready to move on."  
  
"I'm so sorry," Jessie said as she hugged him. He was taller than her. In her memory, he went from four foot to six foot.   
  
Race stood there, he listened for a few seconds as his daughter talked to her former friend, when he caught site of an old figure he once knew.   
  
"I'll catch up with you two a minute." Race said as he departed from the group.  
  
"Wanna go for a walk?" Kai asked as he pointed towards a small walk way that led towards the beach.  
  
"Don't you need to stay here?" Jessie asked with reason.  
  
"They don't need me. The only reason they are here is to feel sorry for themselves. I'm just a reminder of why they are actually here."  
  
"Lead the way."   
  
  
"Commander Bennett." Race said as he approached the hidden figure. "Trying to humble yourself?"  
  
"So I see you pulled things together, Race."  
  
"It's a shame. He didn't deserve it."  
  
"Well, someone thought he did. We found some tampering with the wires of the plane. That's why we want to assign a bodyguard to Kai."  
  
"So what's going to happen to the kid."   
  
"Well, he's 17 now, and close enough to being an adult that he can be emancipated, but, something turned up as we pulled Keith Wilson's files up. His will."  
  
Race chuckled. "He always told me that he'd keep his will at I-1, that way, no one could tamper with it. I always gave him a hard time about that."  
  
"Well, in it, we discovered that you are Kai's legal guardian."  
  
"What?" Race asked. He had always figured that Will had changed his will, just like Race had done when he became friends with Dr. Quest. "When was the last time it was updated?"  
  
"Last year. You know Race, you don't have to take him?"  
  
"I know." Race sighed. "I'll talk to the kid," Race paused, "and Dr. Quest."  
  
"Oh, by the way Race, it also says that you get his old luggage."  
  
"That's Will for you. A funny man until the end."  
  
  
  
"Did you get my letter?" Kai asked, breaking the silence that had plagued them since they left the visitation. They had ended up on the outer skirts of his private beach, well away from visitors. The private beach, which had been inherited, had been passed down through four generations. The beach was spacious, and stretched to almost a mile long.  
  
"Huh," Jessie said, hoping to change the subject.  
  
"The letter, the one I sent last year. Did you get it?" He asked again. He looked at her and brushed his sandy blonde hair away from his eyes.  
  
"Oh, that letter. Yeah, I got it."  
  
"So, why didn't you write me back?"  
  
She just stared at him, not knowing what to say.   
  
"We should probably head back," he said, ending the long uncomfortable pause.  
  
"Yeah, we should," she said quietly. The walk was quiet, and grim. When they arrived, they were greeted with a stern faced Race Bannon.  
  
"Welcome back, you two," he said as he folded his arms across his chest.  
  
"Sorry Dad, we should've told you where we were going," Jessie said.   
  
"It's okay, I just a little worried. People have been asking for you Kai."  
  
"Sorry Sir."  
  
Race laughed. "Don't be sorry, this is your day to grieve, not theirs," he said as a group of teens came by and swept Kai away. As he was about to be rushed away, Race yelled out, "Kai, I need to talk to you later." Kai simply nodded in return.   
  
As Race watched Kai walk away, he looked down at his daughter, hoping that this would never happen to her. He could tell she was getting a big dose of reality, the kind of reality that no one wants.   
  
  
"Reality sucks!"  
  
"Great terminology Will."  
  
"It's a shame. Andrews didn't deserve to be shot." Will said as he walked out of the large church, with his partner following closely.  
  
"Sure brings reality down to our level."  
  
"No kidding, Race. You know, when I die, I don't want people making a big deal about my death."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, they don't make a big deal about me right now, why should they when I'm dead?" 


	3. The Decision

Disclaimer: I own Kai, Meredith, Keith Wilson(Will) and anybody else that   
wasn't in the show. JQ and friends belong to HB and AOL Time Warner.  
  
  
The Promises We Make   
Chapter 3  
By Kara   
  
Just as the looming nightfall arrived, the last of the remaining sad souls slowly departed. Soon, all that was left were a few close friends. As the mourners paid their last respects, Race spent his time on the phone. Too many things had to be done, leaving Race no time to pay his last respects to his one time best friend.   
  
"You wanted to talk to me?" Kai asked as he faced the grim looking man.  
  
"Hey kid. Let's go inside, I think it'll be easier to talk in there." Race said as he held out his hand to show the way. He followed the young man up the wooden stairs to the large porch that led into the two story beach house. When he walked through the door, he was greeted by a spacious living room, which was painted a khaki color and featured large pictures that depicted life in Hawaii. Kai then gestured towards the two couches that were placed facing each other with a large wooden trunk placed between. He sat down on the right sofa and looked up and into the dark eyes of his departed friend's son.  
  
"I hope this isn't about how sorry you are, and how you wished you and Dad had kept in touch, because I'm very sick of hearing that today." Kai exclaimed in a harsh tone, not allowing Race a chance to speak.  
  
"Well, I was going to try and squeeze that in, but I guess I'll have to take that out." Race said with a smile across his face.   
  
"Then, what do you want to talk about?" Kai as he crossed his arms. He had a feeling he knew what was going to be said. He figured Race was going to tell a story, or tell him how great his dad was, that's what all his dad's former friends had been telling him today.  
  
Race sighed. He wasn't sure how to tell the kid. In a way, he felt like he was getting ready to give an ultimatum speech. "Years ago, your father and I made an agreement that if something should ever happen to ether of us, then we would help raise the other's kid."  
  
"So, in other words, your my guardian?" Kai asked.   
  
"Bingo. So, you have a choice, you can stay here, try and make it alone, or you can move in with the Quest family, which is where Jessie and I live, and live with us."  
  
"The Quest family?"  
  
"I'm Dr. Benton Quest's son's bodyguard. I live with the Quest's and I'm part owner of Quest Enterprise. If you do decide to live with us, which you are more than welcome to do, you will be living in Rockport Maine, and periodically travel around the world. Dr. Quest's son, Jonny, is a year younger than you and his adopted son, Hadji is a year older than you. "  
  
"I know who Dr. Benton Quest is. My dad was always pointing him out saying that you were there, and saying how proud he was to be your friend." Kai said in a sarcastic voice. He then sighed as he looked into Race's eyes, seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with his attitude. "Don't you think this is a bit sudden?"  
  
"Yes, and I am giving you twenty four hours to decide. At that point, the government is going to take control and issue you a bodyguard."  
  
"Why?" Kai asked. This was the first he had heard about all of this.   
  
"They think your parents death wasn't an accident. The discovered that the plane had been tampered with, and that whoever it was, had loosened a part in the wings, making the plane harder to control in rainy weather conditions that your father flew in. The government boys also believe that whoever was after your father, will be after you next."  
  
"Things just keep getting better and better."   
  
"Hang in there kid! Here is where you can reach us, we will be leaving this time tomorrow."  
  
  
The hours in the day dwindled down slowly as Race waited for word from Kai. He was nervous. If Kai did decide to live with him, he would have to start over in a new world. He would have to make new friends, and become reacquainted with the one he use to have. If he decided to stay in Hawaii, he would have to live ether with his grandparents, or alone with a bodyguard. He would have to live in the house that once also occupied with him and his parents.   
  
"Dad, if we want to make the Quest compound before morning, we have to leave now!"  
  
"I know Ponchita, just giving Kai as much time to get back with us."  
  
"Dad, I would love it if Kai did decide to live with us, but, his 24 hours were up an hour ago. We need to be going."  
  
"Your right. Thanks."  
  
"That's why I'm here!"  
  
"To always outwit your father?"  
  
"No, that was too easy." Jessie said with a grin on her face. Race then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gently hugged her as they made their way to the Quest Jet, which was waiting outside the rented hanger for them. As they approached, Race noticed a figure stepping out of the shadows. Fearing the worst, he removed his arm around his daughter, placed her somewhat behind him and started to draw for his gun.  
  
"Race, next time you decide to give someone an ultimatum, follow through on your promises. I've been waiting here for an hour for you two!" Kai said as he walked out of the shadows of the hanger.  
  
"Kai! Your coming?" Jessie exclaimed. "How did you know this was our hanger?"  
  
"Look around you, how many other jets do you see that have a big Q on them? Only one, so I put two and two together and took a wild guess hoping that this was yours.   
  
"So, what made you decide to come?" She asked as she hugged him.  
  
"I decided that it is about time that I move on, and I mean, move on!" Kai said as he hugged her back. After releasing from their hug, he walked back into the hanger and pulled out some of his objects. "I hope you have room for my surfboard?"  
  
"You do know that it doesn't get that warm in Maine, right?" Jessie questioned.  
  
"Yeah I know, that's why I'm hoping that my surfboard can double as a snowboard in the winter."   
  
"Well, let's get you all packed in and we will head on out." Race said as he opened the cargo door on the plane and started loading up some of Kai's belongings.   
  
  
  
The first few minutes where spent in an awkward silence.   
  
"So... what are you doing with your house?" Jessie asked, trying to make small talk, as she placed a box in the plane.   
  
"My grandparents are going to keep an eye on it, and maintain it while I'm gone. I figured next year, I'll be going to college there, that I'll just move back in."  
  
"I see." She said. When she was talking with him, she had problems getting past his calm presentation. To her, he was too calm to be a person who's parents died and he's now moving his life to a new continent, to a new home, to a new family. But the one thing that was bugging her so much, was his looks. When they were little, he always had dark raven hair, similar to his fathers, and he had fairly white skin. Now, he was blonde and had a dark bronze tan. The tan was easy to figure out, but the hair bothered her. Not too many guys dyed their hair, and few dyed theirs blonde. "So, why do you have blonde hair?" She asked. She figured that if she was going to live with the another blonde, she should at least know why he's a blonde.  
  
"What?" Kai asked. He was caught off guard by her question. He then sat the box he was carrying down.  
  
"Your hair. It's blonde. When we were little, you always had dark hair."  
  
Kai laughed. He forgot about his years of having dark hair. "Well, when you spend almost 13 hours of your day surfing, swimming, or being a lifeguard, your bound to lighten your hair. When I first moved here, Mom made me take swimming lessons at the local pool. After spending my days in a chlorine filled pool, and being out in the sun almost all day, my hair started getting lighter and lighter. So one day I decided to give my hair a helping push and bleached it."  
  
"So you dye your hair."  
  
"No dyed my hair. I've never dyed it since, and that was three years ago. It's just naturally stayed this way. Pretty cool, huh?"  
  
"Only if you like being tow-headed."  
  
"Come on you two! If we don't get going now, we really won't make it before morning." 


	4. The Change

Disclaimer: I own Kai, Meredith, Keith Wilson(Will) and anybody else that   
wasn't in the show. JQ and friends belong to HB and AOL Time Warner.  
  
  
The Promises We Make   
Chapter 4  
By Kara   
  
  
2 weeks later  
  
"I can't believe your dad is making me go to a school that's mascot is the same as one in a cheerleading movie." Kai said as flipped through his new school, Albert Einstein High School, student handbook, which was filled with the proper etiquette you should display while attending the Rockport private high school.  
  
"You saw Bring It On?" Jessie asked, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Yes." Kai said angrily as he rolled his eyes while Jessie started to laugh.   
  
"You know, when I forced Jonny to watch it with me, the first words he said was, 'No one dies, not a guy movie.'" Jessie said as she flopped down on the opposite end of the couch that Kai was laying on. She was trying not to laugh at him, but was having a hard time. "So, why did you watch it? Some secrete obsession with being a cheerleader?  
  
"No. The only reason I saw it was because for some reason, every girl in Hawaii was obsessed with that movie. There, are you happy now?"   
  
Jessie just laughed harder. She then placed the back of her right hand on her forehead, with her index finger and pinkie sticking up. "Let's go Toro's!" she said and then clapped five times.  
  
"Stop that." Kai said as he tried to grab her hand.  
  
"Better get use to it, we take proud in being the Toro's!" She said as she started the cheer again, but before she could finish the chant, he grabbed her wrist and playfully hit her on the head with the student handbook. It was then that he noticed that Jonny was standing there, watching the whole ordeal.   
  
"I can't believe you just admitted to seeing that movie." Jonny said, as he stifled his laughter.  
  
"Hey, she just told me you saw it too."  
  
"And all I remember was Kirsten Dunst, girls doing flips in short mini skirts, the perks to watching it without your girlfriend." Jonny said with his trademarked lopsided grin.  
  
Jessie then noticed that her captor wasn't paying attention so she twisted her arm, and pushed him off the couch.  
  
"Hey!" Kai said as he looked back up to her. He then looked over to Jonny, "Mind helping me?"  
  
"No way! I'm leaving this one to you, buddy! Just remember, Dad prefers it when we horse around outside, not inside."  
  
"Chicken." Kai said sarcastically.  
  
"No, Mustangs. At my public high school, we're the Mustangs, not the chickens." Jonny said snickering as he walked out of the den, and into the hallway.  
  
"Why that little..." Kai said, but was interrupted by the sound of Jessie's laughter. She then started her chant again, but was quickly silenced when he stood up and started pulling her off the couch. She then pushed him back down with her feet, climbed over the back of the couch and started running down the hallway, nearly knocking Jonny over. She then glanced back, making sure that Kai was still following her. This wasn't the first time she had ran through this hallway backwards, but most of the time it was with Jonny in close pursuit, not Kai. Then, making sure he was close enough to hear her without screaming, said: "I said, Brrr... it's cold in here, must be some Toro's in the atmosphere."   
  
"You know, Bannon, that's pretty pathetic that you know all those cheers!" Kai said, as he passed Jonny, who was hugging the wall trying not to get killed.  
  
"Don't you worry, you'll know them in no time too!" she said as she made a sharp turn into the main living room. The room, which was painted in a light ocean blue, was spacious, and had two couches, two recliners, a large coffee table, a TV and a huge bay window that overlooked the property and the ocean. The living room was also like a huge fork in the road, if you stood in the center of the room, you had the option of going left, which led outside to the patio, straight which went into the kitchen, or right, which was the main hallway of the compound. Jessie kept going straight from the hallway, dodging the couch, and made her way to the patio door. She then opened it and ran out, closing the door in hopes of slowing down her predator.  
  
When Kai made it to the living room, he saw her run outside, he then made it to the door, and grab onto it before it closed and flung it opened. He followed her on the patio and down the three steps that led to the grassy area. He noticed that she was slowing down, but he wasn't sure whether she was getting tired, or wanting him to catch her. He then caught up to her, and tried to knock her down, only to follow her to the ground.  
  
Jessie laughed. "You caught me Cheer Boy!"   
  
"Hey!" He said, only this time he laughed.  
  
"Don't worry about Albert Einstein High, you'll fit in, to an extent." She said giving him a playful punch. She then stood up, and reached her hand out to his, helping him stand up.  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all."  
  
They then walked back to the main house. "You know, I've been wondering this since I got here. Why do you go a private high school and Jonny goes to a public high school?"  
  
"Well..." She started, "I go to a private one because they don't look down upon you missing half the school year as much as the public schools do. Their philosophy is that it's your money. Since I spend a fourth of the school year with my mom, and I travel just about another fourth of the year, and they are willing to work with us on my assignments. Another reason is because they are willing to work with my private tutor I have when I'm with my mom on her archeology digs."  
  
"I see. So what about Jonny? Why doesn't he go to a private school?"   
  
"Well, as my dad says, the only reason is to separate us. When Jonny and I were younger, we were like twins, always together, and always causing trouble. The one year that I went to Rockport Middle School, Jonny and I caused more trouble than anyone else in the history of the 75 year old school." Jessie said with a grin. "Besides, Jonny only travels about a fourth of the year, and it helps that Dr. Quest is on the school board."  
  
"Ah, the power of having connections. So that answers the question of why you go to a private school, and why Jonny goes to a public school, now why do I have to go to a private school?" Kai asked as he climbed the three stairs.  
  
"To keep me company." Jessie said with a grin. "If your lucky, Dad might let you go to a public college, since Hadji's going to a private college."  
  
"Hadji. I'm guessing he's the one last person I have yet to meet." Kai asked as he pulled himself onto the wooden banister of the deck.  
  
"You'll love Hadji. Not only is he the Sultan of Bangalore, he's also a yogi."  
  
"A yogi, as in hey BooBoo?" Kai asked as he did his best Yogi Bear impression.  
  
"No, silly. As in, yoga."  
  
"That's a relief. I wasn't sure if I could handle living with Yogi Bear."  
  
Jessie laughed. "You know, you really should find a better place to stick you head then in the gutters." Jessie said giving him a playful punch on his left arm. She then took his hands and pulled him off the banister. "Come on, lets go back inside."  
  
"So when do I get to meet this yogi?" Kai said, following her inside.  
  
"He should be home sometime late tonight."  
  
"Good. That gives me plenty of time to hide my picnic baskets." 


	5. The Start Over

Disclaimer: I own Kai, Meredith, Keith Wilson(Will) and anybody else that   
wasn't in the show. JQ and friends belong to HB and AOL Time Warner.  
  
  
The Promises We Make   
Chapter 1  
By Kara   
  
  
From a distance, Race Bannon sat behind his desk with his chair facing the window. He had been watching his daughter and godson run around outside. It had been a little over two weeks since Kai's parents died, and two weeks to the day since he first arrived at the Quest Compound.   
  
At first, thing were rough for the young adult. When he first arrived at the Quest Compound, he was greeted by two faces whom he had never met.   
  
  
"Welcome to the Quest Compound." Race announced over the planes PA system. Kai looked at his watch, "It's 4:00 and it's already dark?" Kai asked in disbelief, he then looked back out the window as the plane made it's way to the hanger.   
  
"You dork, you forgot to change your watch." Jessie said from the other side of the plane.  
  
"Okay," Kai said as he fiddled with his watch, "then it's 9 o'clock."  
  
Jessie then glanced at her Quest watch, which was controlled by satellites and was automatically configured to change time depending on the location of the watch. "No, it's 10 o'clock," she said.  
  
"Wait, wait. Hawaii is five hours behind eastern time, so that would make it 9 o'clock." Kai protested.  
  
  
"You're correct about that, but, have you ever heard of daylight savings?"  
  
"Vaguely."  
  
"Well, basically in April we spring ahead an hour, and in October, we fall back an hour. So as of right now, we are an extra hour ahead of you."  
  
"And the point of this would be?"  
  
"Gives people more time to enjoy the sun in the summer months after work hours." Race said as he exited the cockpit. "It was originally created for use during World War II for economic reasons."  
  
"Great, now I'm really off on my time zones."  
  
  
Off he was, Race thought. He continued to look out the window even though his two kids were now inside. The past week had been busy for Race. Not only did he have to help move Kai in, but he also had to enroll Kai in his new school, Albert Einstein High School, a private school in Rockport. He also had to play mediator, councilor and guardian for the boy. Almost everyday Race had to deal with a call from the big boys at I-1, and almost every time, they were about wanting to take the boy away. Funny, Race thought, they trust him with the worlds greatest scientist and his two boys, but not the 17 year old boy of his former partner.  
  
Race yawned. The past week he had got less sleep then he had ever got while being in the Navy. Not only had he been getting up at odd hours of the night, so had Dr. Quest, and Kai. Every night, he and Dr. Quest would wake up to the sound of the television in the den, or the sound of someone walking around at night.   
  
  
"Damnit, what is Jonny doing up at this time of the night?" Race cursed as he walked down the hall towards the den. In the distance he could see flashing lights and he could hear the sounds of infomercials. When he reached the den, he was surprised to see who was watching TV.   
  
"Kai. What are you doing up?" Race asked the blonde boy who was laying on the couch.   
  
"Couldn't sleep. My body still thinks it's only 8 o'clock, not 2am."  
  
"That's right, 2am." Race grumbled as he rubbed his eyes.   
  
"Sorry if I woke you."  
  
"Your fine. Just keep it down." Race said as he walked back towards his quarters.   
  
  
Watching infomercials wasn't the only thing Kai did at night. The two days later, Dr. Quest told Race about Kai's eating habits.   
  
  
"Race, I thought you might want to know this, I found Kai in the kitchen cooking an egg at 1am."  
  
"I swear Benton, when I was that boys age, I could easily stand the time zone changes."  
  
Dr. Quest chuckled.   
  
"I'll have a talk with him tonight."   
  
"Don't Race. Let him get use to the transition on his own. Besides, I told him he could do whatever he wants in this house. I even gave him his own Questworld Laptop, so he could get online in his room at night."  
  
"You know Doc, I really appreciate you letting Kai stay here," Race said.  
  
"Don't think anything of it Race. You know that my home, is your home."  
  
"Thanks Doctor."  
  
  
Race yawned again. He then stood up and walked towards the end of his office, eyeing his black leather couch. When he reached his couch, he laid down, and closed his eyes. Sleep quickly swept over the exhausted man, swiftly taking him to the land of slumber.  
  
  
The dark figure pulled up to the gates of the Quest Compound in a dark blue Ford Explorer. The figure then slowed down when he reached the opening of the gates, rolled down the window, and punched in a code that had been implanted in his memory. Slowly, the gates opened just as the sound of a woman's voice welcomed the guest, but the welcome was unnoticed, because the dark figure had already rolled up the window. As his journey ended at the door of the main compound, he turned his SUV off, got out and walked towards the back, where he opened the back hatch and pulled out two duffle bags and placed them on the driveway. Quietly, he shut the glass on the back hatch, and turned to face the windows of the compound. In the distance, he could see a faint light turned on inside the compound. He then glanced down at his digital watch, which illuminated in the dark light. "It's 3am, I hope Dr. Quest isn't waiting up for me," the young Indian boy said slightly distressed at the thought as he picked up his bags, and headed towards the door. He pulled out his key, and unlocked the door. Curiosity getting the better of him, he walked towards the den. The sound of a low volume TV could be heard as he got closer.  
  
"I'm home," he said to the figure that was laying on the couch. When the head popped up, he was caught off guard by the face the appeared. His eyes stared into the dark brown pupil of the young blonde teen. "Oh my, so sorry."  
  
"Aloha. I'm guessing your the yogi, I mean, Hadji."  
  
"I see that you know my name, but unfortunately, I do not know yours." Hadji said as he made his way towards the newly met teen.  
  
"Hi, I'm Kai Wilson."  
  
"Oh that is right. I had forgotten, Dr. Quest mentioned you were living here. I deeply apologetic towards not remembering that you were staying here, and I am truly sorry to hear about your parents passing."  
  
"Thanks." Kai said. He was hoping that this would be the last time he would hear someone say they were sorry for his parents. He had heard it enough that the words had lost their meaning.  
  
"I hope to finish this conversation in he morning, my friend. I just got back and I feel that there is too much to get done before the morning sun rises."  
  
"Night," Kai said as the Hadji walked away from the den, noticing he was out of hearing distance, "Yogi," he quietly said as he yawned. His body was slowly catching up with the time zone change.  
  
  
The morning sun glistened through the frosty bay windows that light the otherwise dim kitchen. As Jessie walked into the kitchen, she shielded her eyes from the bright sun rays. She looked around the room, noticing all her family members, except one. She twisted around, letting her plaid, pleated, skirt float with the wind. She then stomped her black Mary Jane shoe on the floor and yelled, "Kai Andrew Wilson, get your butt moving or we will be late!" She then walked over to the table and took a seat next to Hadji, who is reading the front page of the USA Today.  
  
Race looked up from the sports section of the paper he was reading to give her the look that most parents gave to their kids when they were acting out in a public place.   
  
"Looks like Jess won't be needing her coffee today." Jonny said trying to squeeze in a quick jab on Jessie's behalf. "And to think, for years all we needed was Kai to get her up in the morning, not coffee. I guess that means the grocery bill will be going down."   
  
Jessie glared at the blonde boy who was sitting across from her. He smiled as he shoved another spoon full of Fruity Pebbles in his mouth. Jonny glanced in the corner of his eye to see the same look that Race had been giving Jessie moments ago.  
  
"You know my friend, you shouldn't be in such a hurry." Hadji said as he glanced away from the article he was reading.  
  
" True, but you don't have to drive thirty minutes to go to school." She said with a grin.   
  
"Speaking of traveling, did you have a good journey back home?"  
  
"It was a pleasant trip, though I did not get much time to enjoy my countries beauty."  
  
"Maybe next time, Hadji." Jessie said. She then glanced down at her watch, 7:05. "Kai!" she screamed, but was interrupted before anything else got out.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, what's with all the lung power, Jess?"  
  
"Because, were going to be late." she said as she admired the blonde boy in his navy school uniform. She looked at his navy pants, which accented his tall stature, her gaze then moved up to his white polo short sleeve shirt, which brought out his tan arms, which were holding his navy blazer.  
  
"Is the polo shirt alright to wear?" He asked as he looked down at his own appearance.   
  
"Great." She said as she stood up from her chair. She then smoothed her skirt out and walked over to the living room, which was located behind Kai. She then picked up her navy blazer, and put it on over her white, fitted blouse. She then picked up her black backpack and green duffle bag. Kai stood there and watched.  
  
"You all ready to go?" she asked bringing the boy out of his trance.  
  
"Sure thing, Britney Spears!" Kai said as he made a reference to her outfit resembling the one Britney Spears in her first music video.  
  
"Jonny!" She said in a loud tone as she glared once again at the blonde boy.  
  
"Hey, I can't help it that someone else thinks you look like Britney Spears."   
  
"Grow up." She said, she then turned around and focused her glare on Kai. She then relaxed, and glanced down at her watch. "Do you have clothes to change into?" She asked Kai as she played with the buttons on her digital watch.  
  
"No. Do I need them?"  
  
"In less you want to ride home in that." She said pointing to his uniform.  
  
"I think I'll go grab a pair of shorts!"  
  
"Good choice."  
  
  
"I'm not paranoid Will, I just don't feel comfortable sending Jessica to some school before she's ready."   
  
"Race, it's just Pre-School. All they do is sit around, read, take naps, and make friends with kids their age. What's the worst that can happen? She learns how to tie her shoes."  
  
"No, I'm just worried that she's not ready." Race said while tracing his hand around his cup of coffee.   
  
Will stared at the man. For a guy who never wanted kids, Race sure was turning out to be a father who will never let his kid see the light of day. He felt sorry for her, heaven only knew what would happen when she wanted to date. He then leaned across the table, letting his eyes meet the white haired man's eyes. "Race, your daughter is smarter than any kid twice her age. If anything, she's too advanced for Pre-School. Let her go and have fun."  
  
"Let me guess, Stella's been talking to you again?"  
  
"Nope, but she does talk to my wife. But anyways, Kai's going, so she will at least know one person."  
  
"Fine, fine, you win!" 


	6. The Problem

Disclaimer: I own Kai, Meredith, Keith Wilson(Will) and anybody else that   
wasn't in the show. JQ and friends belong to HB and AOL Time Warner.  
  
Thank-you goes out to Spense for betaing this story! Thank-you!  
  
Archivers: Sure just tell me where please!  
  
The Promises We Make   
Chapter 6  
By Kara Estes  
  
  
As time flickered down, so did the days. In little over a month, Kai had settled down into his daily routine. He discovered that his new school was a bit of a challenge for him, but nothing he couldn't handle. He also learned quickly what Jessie was meaning about traveling. They had only traveled once, but what was suppose to be a short conference trip to London, turned into an all out chase after someone tried to assassinate the Prime Minister. Of course, being around Jonny, Hadji, and Jessie, that meant trying to chase after the assassin, and getting in trouble with Race. But Kai, who was becoming more and more like Jonny, was loving every moment of it. That is how he and Jonny had really became friends; they both had the same theory, leap first, then look.   
  
  
"Kai Andrew Wilson, I was a late order." Kai said to the woman sitting behind the desk.   
  
"I don't think your graduation invitations have arrived yet. Let me check," she said as she shifted through a bunch of papers.   
  
As Kai waited on her, he could see his reflection in the trophy case behind the woman. His hair was getting darker, and it was no longer blonde, but more of a light brown. He could see that his roots were starting to get darker, while his tan was getting lighter. In the reflection, he could also see the bright red hair of his friend, Jessie. He turned around and stared at her. She was in her normal group, a group that was mixed with different people of different standards. They were in a circle, to the left of Jessie was her friend Caitlin, who was a starter on the soccer team, to her right was Toby Dawson, the one person in her group that was nice to him. Toby, the co-editor of the newspaper, was also rumored to be her boyfriend, but a month into living with Jess, he had yet to see any signs of that. The rest of the people in Jessie's circle was made up by a girl who was a cheerleader, and another guy, whom Kai had yet to meet. Her group wasn't the most popular group, but almost everyone knew them. Kai then looked back at the woman, who was still rummaging through a box. He then looked over to the right, as a group of girls yelled his name. He simply waved back. Within a week of attending Albert Einstein High, almost everyone knew his name, even though he didn't know theirs.   
  
"Ah, Kai Wilson, you are in luck," she said as she stood up with a light blue box in her hand, she then handed it to the boy. "Here you go, all 50 of your graduation invitations. Now if you could sign here saying you received them, then your good to go!"  
  
"Thanks," he said as he began to sign his name. As he was signing, he could hear someone turning on one of the TV's that hang from each corner of the large student center of Albert Einstein High School. His ears picked up the sound of a reporter in panic as she described the events. He then looked up and saw that everyone was glued to the television. His eyes widen, and he gasped as he saw the events that were unfolding on the newscast.   
  
"Officials believe that this is not the acts of Osama Bin Laden, who orchestrated the September 11th attacks, but by another well known National Terrorist, Ezekiel Rage. If you can get a look behind me, you can see the flames coming from what use to be the Golden Gate Bridge." The reporter said as the camera panned behind her, to show flames bellowing out of what use to be the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The view changed to boats in the harbor trying to combat the fire from their boats. "At this time, rescuers are unsure of the death toll, but it is believed to be in the thousands, due to the ceremony planed today for the 70th anniversary of the starting of the construction of Golden Gate Bridge." The reported said. "I'm getting word that their is some ground breaking footage..." she said getting cut off by an unknown transmission.   
  
"Greetings my fellow Americans. Today, you have seen what the Book of Rage predicted five years ago, the coming of the Apocalypse. Little has been done to prevent this coming doom." Rage said on TV. Behind him, Kai could see what looked like a huge bomb, but wouldn't believe that Rage could get his hands on a bomb. He then heard the sound of dueling cell phones going off. The tone that stood out from the two rings was the theme of Mission Imposable, which Kai knew was Jessie's cell phone, the other, which was more quiet, was his, which was playing the song Surfing USA. Kai then dropped his backpack to the floor and began rummaging through it, pulling out his blue phone.   
  
"Hey." he answered.  
  
"Hello," Jessie said a split second later after Kai answered. She quickly walked over to the corner where Kai was standing. She then motioned for him to walk towards the door with her.  
  
"Let me guess, you two are standing next to each other." The voice on the other end asked.  
  
"We're on our way out, Dad." Jessie said as she pushed the schools front door open.  
  
"Good. Get here as quick as you can. We've traced Rage's transmission. We're hoping it'll lead us to the bomb."   
  
"The bomb? You mean what he was standing in front of is a bomb?" Kai asked in disbelief.   
  
"The newest kind. He calls it the Iniquity. It's the smartest of the smart bombs out there today, but what makes it so different than the one's we're using in Afghanistan is that this one also incorporates the use of Hydrogen."  
  
"Is that what he used on the Golden Gate Bridge?" Kai asked as he neared the Quest Jeep that they used to drive to school everyday.  
  
"Nah, that was just your basic Daisy Cutter like they used in World War II, only modernized. This one is 20 times more powerful than the one he released in San Francisco. The best we can gather is that he wants to insure that everything in a 3000 square mile radius will be destroyed."   
  
"He's trying to finish what he couldn't accomplish 5 years ago."   
  
"That's what it looks like. Just get here as fast as you can. As soon as you get here, go to the hanger, we'll be waiting for you." Race said as Jessie and Kai climbed into the Quest Jeep. She then pushed her key into the ignition and started the jeep.  
  
"We're on our way." Jessie said as she hung up her phone and tossed it into the back of the jeep. She then pulled out of her parking space and speed out of the parking lot.  
  
"Uh... Jess. I know we are in a hurry, but, shouldn't you at least get a bit closer to the speed limit?" Kai asked as he tightened his grip on the jeeps overhead bar.  
  
"Speed limits? What were getting ready to do, no one cares if we follow the speed limit. Besides, the Quest plates keep us legal if a cop should decide to try and pull us over." Jessie said with a grin on her face. She then pulled her sunglasses out of the glove box and continued to drive at her fast pace until they reached the hanger at the compound.  
  
  
"Hey! Where are we going?" Kai asked, trying to raise his voice higher than the sound of the planes engines. Jessie and him had just arrived and was running towards the cargo door of the plane. There they were greeted by Race Bannon, who was making sure everything they needed was there, including a Jeep, and numerous wooden boxes, which Kai guessed that they were filled with the needed equipment.   
  
"The transmissions all point to Panaqua." Race said as he closed the cargo door. He then walked ahead of Jessie and Kai who were making their way through the jet, and picked up his pace until he reached the cockpit. He reached the pilots chair just as Kai and Jessie reached their seats, with Jessie sitting behind her father and next to Hadji, and Kai next to Jonny, who was sitting on the left. In front of Jonny and Kai was Dr. Quest, who was acting as copilot. As Kai set down, Jonny lightly punched him in the ribs and pointed to the seatbelt, which Kai quietly put on. The atmosphere of the plane was quiet, with the only noise present was the sound of the jets engines.  
  
"Sets belts on?" Race asked breaking the silence, with everyone chirping in their reply. "Air control, this is Quest Jet 589, gearing for take off from Quest Air Field to Panaqua."   
  
  
  
"Action is my middle name."  
  
"Funny, I thought your middle name was Lanthrop."  
  
"Well, it's that too." Will said to Race as he cocked his gun, preparing for action. "So, should we storm the castle from the left, or from the right?"  
  
"You take left, I take right and we'll meet in the middle." Race said with a serious tone. Even though there wasn't a castle to invade, there was a warehouse that was heavily guarded by the madman's goons.   
  
"Isn't it a little risky going solo?" Will nervously asked. This was his first big adventure, while this was Race's hundredth time. Well, maybe not hundredth, Race was a former Navy Seal and working alone came natural to him. While Will, who was once a Green Beret, had done everything in groups and was never left alone. This was both Race's and his first adventure with Intelligence One, or better known as I-1. They had been in training with each other for almost six months, and were considered the best of the best.  
  
"As long as you got a gun, you'll be fine." Race said in a sharp tone.   
  
"You are the man, Bannon."  
  
  
"So, why Panaqua?" Kai asked. He had been going over some of the information he had gathered about Ezekiel Rage. He had heard of the man prior to living with the Quest's. He could remember hearing his dad mention that name when he was younger as a man he use to work with, and he could also remember hearing his dad say something later in his life about Rage's sanity. He also remembered hearing the name in another situation, but he was unable to put his finger on the exact details of that memory.   
  
"Panaqua is supposable where Rage's family was killed after a failed covert operation." Race explained. "He was there spying on the Peruvian government when he was caught, when he was trying to get away, he discovered his family had came to visit him there, after that, the Panaqua Army chased him, and his car fell off a cliff with his family inside." Race said, he then paused. "He was presumed dead, but somehow he survived. Since then, he's been trying to get revenge to those who caused the death of his family."  
  
"So, he's willing to kill millions for the deaths of two people?" Kai asked.  
  
"Seems that way."  
  
"Does that mean that I can kill millions since I lost two important people in my life?"  
  
"Kai, your better than that." Jessie said jumping into the conversation.  
  
"I'm sure before he lost his family, he was better than that. But I can see where he's coming from."  
  
"See Jess, I can see where Kai's coming from. I may have been young when my Mom died, but it sure left an impact on my life." Jonny said trying to play the devils advocate.   
  
"Stay out of this, Quest." Jessie said.   
  
"Fine!" Jonny said admiting defeat. He then looked at Kai and patted him on the back, "Good luck."  
  
"You just don't understand what it's like to loose your whole family, do you?" Kai said as he stared at his opponents eyes .  
  
"No, I don't. But I also don't see how anyone could be that bitter that nothing else maters but revenge." Jessie countered back.  
  
"Being bitter and seeking justice are two different things. Being bitter is to carry on with the feelings of anger, seeking justice is wanting payback." Kai said.   
  
"Jessie, I do believe it's time to let this battle go." Hadji said as he tried to get the girl he was sitting next to, to relax. "Many battles are lost because of hatred, while others are won when a truce can be reached."  
  
"How about you two just focus on getting information on Rage's ware bouts and not arguing?" Dr. Quest asked, trying to gather some peace within the small aircraft. He then looked at Race and said: "You know, this is the first trip we've taken that were not yelling at Jonny and Jessie to stop arguing."  
  
"There is hope after all." Race said with a grin.   
  
  
  
"Hey Bannon, what's with all the sulking?" The man, who was sitting at the long table, asked without looking up from his newspaper.   
  
"How do you do it, Zeke?" Race Bannon asked as he pulled the plastic chair out from the table.   
  
"Your footsteps are a dead give away." Ezekiel Rage said. He knew that his answer wasn't what his fellow agent wanted to hear, but at this moment, humor was the best weapon a man could have.  
  
"You know what I mean. How do you keep your marriage with Abby going? Stella and I can hardly say "hi" to each other without having an argument."  
  
Ezekiel paused as he pondered his friend's question. He sighed and said the first thing that came to his mind: "I guess Abby is just more patient, plus, not keeping her in the loop helps."  
  
"You know buddy," Race said as he leaned over the table to be closer to his friend, "someday that's going to catch up with you."  
  
"And when it does, I'll deal with it then." Ezekiel said, as he glanced up for the first time from his paper. His eyes were dark and had looked like they had seen better days. His face looked far more mature than his physical age of 30. Just as Ezekiel glanced back down to his paper, he heard the footsteps of another agent entering the break room. He figured it had to be Keith "Will" Wilson, the only other person, besides himself, who would be brave enough to be in the same room as Race Bannon during one of his depressed moods.  
  
"Don't tell me you two are having a pity party in here without me?" Will said as he grabbed one of the stale donuts that sat in the corner.  
  
"Will, you do realize those are two days old?" Ezekiel asked just as the agent was about to take a bite out of it.   
  
"Nope, their three days old. I'm the one who bought them." Will said just as he took a bite out of the stale donut. "Yum, it's starting to get crunchy."  
  
"Will, will you ever grow up?" Race asked just as he pulled his head out of his hands to get a look at his partner wiping powdered sugar off of his face.  
  
"Probably not until Kai gets old enough to beg me to!" He said with a grin. 


	7. The Solution

Disclaimer: I own Kai, Meredith, Keith Wilson(Will) and anybody else that wasn't in the show. JQ and friends belong to HB and AOL Time Warner.   
  
Thank-you goes out to Spense for betaing this story! Thank-you!   
Archivers: Sure just tell me where please!   
  
The Promises We Make   
Chapter 7  
By Kara Estes   
  
  
  
"If I was Rage, were would I be?" Jonny asked, after walking the dirt trails of Panaqua for what seemed like days, but was only a few hours.   
  
"If you were Rage, then we wouldn't have to hunt very long, because you wouldn't be able to hide yourself if your life depended on it." Jessie said with a smile as she lightly gave Jonny a jab in the ribs.   
  
"She has a point my friend. You do have a knack of getting in trouble and not doing what you are suppose to do." Hadji said looking at his best friend who was walking ahead of him with Jessie.   
  
Jonny turned around and eyed the figure next to Hadji who was paying most of his attention to the small handheld device he was using. "Okay Kai, your turn. Are you going to defend me, or join their side?"  
  
Kai looked up from his object of attention. "I'll have to take the neutral side. Besides, I'm too busy tracking our location to argue," he said as placed his attention back on his Global Position Satellite Tracking device.  
  
"Gee, your no fun." Jonny said in defeat. "So, Mr. Tracker, where are we?"  
  
Kai quickly glanced over the handheld device once more before he answered. "We've been going south for almost 5 miles, and we're about to reach the inner part of the jungle, where we should catch up with Dr. Quest and Race, who are on a parallel trail traveling around 25 miles per an hour." Kai said as he extended the GPS tracker to where Hadji could glance over it, making sure his figures were correct.  
  
"How much longer until we reach them?" Jessie asked as she glanced at her watch.  
  
"If my calculations are correct, 30 more minutes if we keep up this pace, and continue to find no signs of Rage." Kai said. He then handed the GPS tracker to Hadji, allowing him to more carefully check his figures, and to hopefully take over the boring duty. This was the first time he had ever used a GPS tracker. Before the groups separated into two search parties, Race had quickly given him a crash course on how to use it, and how to do the math to figure the points of location and arrival. Of course, it didn't take a math wizard to work the device, but it did force Kai to use some of his dormant math skills that he had learned while going to school in Hawaii.   
  
"You are quickly picking up how to use this device, Kai." Hadji said in a form of approval of Kai's work.   
  
"Well, it's not as hard as Race was making it out to be. I was afraid I was going to have to try and remember how to do functions, and domains." Kai said with a smile on his face.   
  
"See buddy, I told you there was nothing to this." Jonny said as he turned around and walked backwards for a moment so he could talk to his friend.  
  
Nightfall quickly came just as the four teens arrived at their makeshift base set up by their fathers. When the teens arrived, they quickly placed their bags into their large tent and soon settled in the open area around campfire, each doing their own thing. Hadji sat next to the campfire meditating, while Jonny finished up his school work that he was suppose to do when he had to walk out of class early for this mission. Race stood in the far edge of the woods with his cell phone plastered to his ear, as he negotiated for information from old informants, while Dr. Quest finished up making the groups supper. Even though he wasn't the best cook, he figured he couldn't go wrong with the prepared meals Mrs. Evans had made for them to take with them. The last two members of the Quest Team, Jessie and Kai, were both working on their laptops while sitting in the open top Quest Jeep. Jessie sat in the passenger seat of the jeep with her seat pushed as far back as it would go, and the back of the chair was slightly tilted back, allowing her to place her sore feet on the dashboard of the Jeep. Her laptop sat elevated on her thighs, allowing her to read over the government documents that were sent to them over the growing situation with Rage. Behind her, Kai was spread out with his body against the drivers side of the jeep, with his legs placed spread out to the other end of the jeep. His eyes was focused on his laptop which was placed in his lap.   
  
"Hey Jess."   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Did Rage have a daughter?"   
  
Jessie then placed her laptop in the drivers chair and turned around to face Kai. "Yeah, her name was Carla." She said just as the face she was looking at turned pale. "Why?"  
  
  
"Master Rage. Master Rage!" Yelled a dark cloaked man as he ran into a room that was made of steal and had no windows. He fumbled as he entered the dark room, hoping not to fall.  
  
"What is it? I told you not to disturb me!" Cried out the man who was standing in the farthest corner.  
  
"We have visitors. The scout just came back with pictures of them." He said just as bright light that reflected off of the cold metal walls, was turned on. He was then greeted by a tall man with a white mask on that covered his burnt face. He jumped as a thin, bony hand reached over and grabbed the large black and white pictures.   
  
"Well, if it isn't Dr. Benton Quest and Roger "Race" Bannon's folly." He said as he flipped through the pictures of the visitors. When he reached the final picture, he paused. One of the people in the pictures caught his eye, he stared at it as his eyes narrowed in on the person. "How far are they?" He asked his faithful minion.  
  
"Ah... ah... two miles away, sir." He stumbled.   
  
Rage then walked over and picked up a large leather book. He then open the book up and stuck the photos in the crevasse of the pages and read; "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are those who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed. Now go! Tell my followers that they have gathered in a place called Armageddon. Tell them to be ready."  
  
"Yes, yes sir." The faithful minion said as he exited the room.   
  
Rage the placed his gaze back at the large picture, and then shifted it to a smaller one in the leather book.  
  
  
"I knew her." Kai said as he looked deeply into Jessie's eyes. He could feel his face getting pale as his hands began to shake. "I don't know if you remember her or not, but she would sometimes try to hang out with us, mostly myself since you stopped visiting. I really didn't pay much attention to her because she was almost three years younger than us, but she always tried to fit in with the other kids." Kai explained.   
  
"Why are you just now telling this?" Jessie asked in confusion.   
  
"It just slipped my mind. The name Rage always stuck out in my mind, I just figured it was someone my dad knew, not someone I knew." He said in defense, he then paused, letting what he said soak into his friend's mind. "Do you remember her?"  
  
Jessie paused for a moment as she tried to remember all the other kids of agents that worked with her dad. "I guess she was around the time of the divorce, which is one point in my life I try not to think about."   
  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Keith Wilson's protégé." Rage said aloud as he compared the large black and white photo of Kai and Jessica with a smaller three and a half by five color photo of Kai, Jessica and his daughter Carla. The photo was taken during one of I-1's picnics that were designed to help their agents relax and take a day off. At that time, there were only three agents who had kids that where older than three years old. The rest of the agents were ether single, or just starting a family. A mixture of sadness and anger swept over him as he looked at the smaller picture. His daughter was the youngest of the three, and was almost four years old, with the other two, Kai and Jessica being seven. How dare they show no respect for his daughter, he thought as he slammed the book shut on the small photo that showed the two older kids no paying any attention to the younger child.  
  
  
The morning sun glistened through the jungle's thick trees as the Quest Team prepared to head out.   
  
"I just got word from DC that Rage's headquarters is about two miles up ahead." Race announced to the group. "Dr. Quest and I have decided that we are going to split into two groups. The first group is going to be Jonny, Hadji, Kai, and I, the second group is going to be Jessie and Dr. Quest, which is going to be our communications and backup group." He said just as he heard his daughter groan.   
  
"But Dad?" Jessie whined in desperation. She always hated the fact that her father was the over protective type and would never let her go on the dangerous adventures with him, yet he always let Jonny, the youngest, most impulsive member of the Quest Team go.  
  
"No buts. Between you and Dr. Quest, you both know all the communication equipment the best, plus, you know the numbers to all my informants in case we need them." Race said trying to smooth the situation over.  
  
"So in other words, I'm the gopher girl, go for this, go for that, go call this person..." She said with her father cutting her ramblings off before she could go farther.  
  
"Not now Ponchita. You know it, and I know that you are much better at the computer end than you are on the action end." He said only to see more anger and hurt reflect from his daughter's eyes. He then focused his attention back to his plan. He then reached down and picked up a blue backpack that had a big Q logo on the front. He reached inside and pulled out a small black walkie-talkie that had an earpiece with a microphone attached to it. He then threw on to each of the five other members. "This is how we are going to stay in contact with each other and with the communications base. The earpiece is wireless and the microphone will blend in with your skin so it won't be visible to anyone less than one foot away." He said as everyone put theirs on. "To talk, just press the small red button on the top, the microphone will stay on until you push it off. So you have the choice of keeping it on, or only turning it on when you need to, ether way, you can still hear what others are saying in it."  
  
Race watched as everyone placed the earpiece in their ear and got the walkie-talkie situated to where they wanted it. "I want you two," he said as he pointed to Dr. Quest and Jessie, "to get everything up and running, and I want everyone else to get packed and situated. We leave ASAP!"   
  
Jessie watched as the jeep drove out, the jeep she should've been in. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and looked up to the older man's eyes and sighed.  
  
"You know Jessie, he didn't mean what he said. He's just doesn't want to see you get hurt."  
  
She smiled. "I know, it's just the point that he did say it." She confessed to the man she considered her second father.  
  
Dr. Quest chuckled. "You know, if I had my way, I would have Jonny here."  
  
"Why him, and not Hadji?" Jessie questioned as she sat down in the right char that was placed in front of a table filled with computer equipment.   
  
"Because I trust Hadji's common sense, and he isn't as daring as he use to be when he was younger, but Jonny," Dr. Quest laughed quietly, "Jonny will never grow out of his impulsiveness and will always has a knack of finding trouble." He paused as he turned on his walkie-talkie. "Though, I also did have my own way in the way the team were laid out."  
  
"How is that, Dr. Quest?"   
  
"I get to be in a team with my first choice person, who knows computers almost better than I do, and she can hack into any computer system Rage is using quicker than anyone else on this team." He said trying to give her reassurance to her position.  
  
"Thanks Dr. Quest." She said as one of the five computer screens flickered to display a shaky image of a fast moving jungle.   
  
"You two picking this up?" Asked a voice through their headset.  
  
"We read you, Race." Dr. Quest said as he quickly typed on the laptop that was directly in front of him. "We can see you through the camera, we can track your position, and we can hear you."  
  
  
"Can I get you guys to test your walkie's out for me?" Asked a different voice through the headset.  
  
"Roger Ponchita," Race said as he motioned for the others to follow.  
  
  
"I can hear you loud and clear, my friend." Replied Hadji's voice through the headset.   
  
"Same here, Jess." Jonny replied.  
  
"I guess I'm last. So, aloha."   
  
"Aloha? Doesn't that mean hello or goodbye?" Jessie asked through the headset.  
  
"Well, the way I see it, aloha works for everything." Kai replied with a grin as he swept his fingers through his somewhat long hair.  
  
  
"Master Rage. Master Rage, the visitors are about within minutes of reaching us." Rage's minion said in panic.  
  
"No worries, Brother Zimmerman, the Book of Rage speaks of the impairing doom of these individuals." Rage said with confidence. "Now go, prepare my followers for my orders."  
  
  
Race stood in the grass, facing the metal fence that surrounded the metal building. He eyed his soundings until he found the object he was looking for. He carefully walked up to the green box that was placed outside the fence. He then pulled out a small screw driver from a compartment on his gun holster, and preceded to carefully open the box. When he unscrewed the last screw, he carefully removed the green lid and placed it gently on the ground. "Shesh, Benton, you should get a look at this." He said in reply to the thousands of wires that were placed in the box. He then motioned for Hadji, who was standing a few yards behind him, to join him.   
  
"Dad, look for a light blue wire. Do you see it?" Jessie asked her father through her headset.   
  
"Yeah, I think so." He said as he pointed to a light blue wire as Hadji nodded in response.   
  
"Good, now place the clip as far to the bottom you can get on it. That's their Ethernet connection and with the clip on it, it should allow me access to their network." Jessie said as she typed furiously on her laptop.   
  
"You getting anything?" Race asked.  
  
"Pay dirt, I'm in. Give us a few moments to get things going." Jessie replied.  
  
  
"I want you guys at each end of the building. Then wait for my command." Race ordered. He watched as the three other members spread out around the compound. "You two found where the bomb is located?"  
  
"I'm working on it, Race." Dr. Quest replied. Though he had only spent a few minutes, it seemed like he had spent hours going through Rage's network with no luck. He glanced over to Jessie, who was trying with no luck to hack the door and fence looks. Her typing paused as she reflected a quick smile.   
  
"In a few seconds, the fences and the doors will be unlocked at each entrance." She announced over her walkie.   
  
"Way to go, Jess!" Jonny said as he fence door began to slide open.   
  
Kai cocked his gun as he walked through the fence and into a grassy area that resembled a prison yard which included a chain length fence, and metal doors. As he approached the metal door, he could hear it being unlocked. He placed his hand gently on the door and slowly pushed it open. The room inside was dark and cold. He quietly crept down the hallway, not sure where to go.   
  
"Kai," he heard as he pressed his fingers gently on the earpiece, pushing it farther in his ear so he could hear it better. "I want you to keep going straight until you see the first door on the right, take it and follow it as far as you can." Jessie said as she typed scanned the maps of the compound.   
  
"Dad. As best as I can tell, your going to have guards all around you in that hallway."   
  
"Thanks for the warning, I'll see what I can do to fix this problem." He whispered with a cocky grin on his face.   
  
"Jonny, Hadji, if you two keep going straight, you should meet each other at the first T intersection. You arrive there, keep going straight from where Jonny is."  
  
Kai walked quietly down the cold dark hall, watching for the first door on the right. It didn't take him long before he found it. He glanced inside but couldn't see anything due to the darkness. His eyes had adapted enough that he could see things that were close to him, but not afar. He walked in the room, which was merely another dark hall. As he walked, he could feel chills going down his spine. He stopped to look around, and saw nothing, even though he could hear what he thought was someone behind him. He continued waking, only this time he placed his gun out in front of him, hoping it would protect him. He picked up his pace when he heard the footsteps behind him. In the short distance, he could see the end of the hall. He became nervous. He wasn't sure if he should radio back to Jess that her path was a dead end, or for help. When he reached the end of the hall, he noticed a door. He then placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. Unlocked, he thought. When the door opened up, he slowly walked into the dark room. Just as he cleared the doorway, the door shut, the lights came on, and facing him was 20 men and women dressed in black cloaks with guns all pointed at him. He then dropped his gun, just as he was about to put his hands in the air, he quickly swept his right hand over the black walkie-talkie that was in his pocket, and he pushed the small red button, allowing everyone on the Quest Team to hear what was going on. He then placed his hands in the air just as the group slowly parted as a dark figure appeared.   
  
"The Book of Rage Says, that those who trespass against the Book of Rage shall be punished." Rage said as he made himself appear to the young boy.   
  
Kai gasped in horror at the site of the man. He looked different than the person he saw almost two days ago on TV at his school. This man only wore a mask that covered his eyes of his burnt face. Kai also noticed his hands, one appeared to be mechanical, while the other looked almost like it had no skin on it. He wore a pair of dark sunglasses to cover his eyes, a black hat with a large brim, which held his long gray hair close to his head. Under his black trench coat was a black turtle-neck shirt with white boxes going down in the shape of the bones in a human neck. He wore black pants that laid on top of his black military style boots.  
  
"Chain him up and take him to the operations room." Rage ordered.   
  
  
"Fur on a catfish, I should've known something was up when I didn't find those guards Jessie was talking about." Race cursed as he heard the events unfold.  
  
"Race, what do we do?" Jonny asked.  
  
"You and Hadji group together and wait for my command." Race announced.  
  
  
Jessie's eyes widened as she heard the sound of Rage through her headset. She looked at Dr. Quest, who was sharing the same expression she was. She quickly got up and ran to the other side of the table to the only laptop that was facing that way. She then quickly typed in a couple of commands and then ran back to her chair just as her father finished telling Jonny and Hadji to regroup.  
  
"I just switched Kai's earpiece to only pickup my walkie-talkie, that way we have less of a chance of Rage discovering the earpiece." Jessie said as she typed furiously on her laptop.   
  
"What can you two get me?" Race asked nervously.  
  
"Right now Race, I'm working on security. Rage's got that place locked up now that he's discovered Kai." Dr. Quest replied.  
  
"I'm working on the map situation. What is your location, Dad?"   
  
"I'm standing in center of the hall with the option of going straight, turning right, or turning left."   
  
Jessie quickly scanned the map on the screen. "Stay there. Jonny, Hadji, are you at the T in the road yet?"  
  
"Yes." The two replied in unison.  
  
"Good, change of plans, I want you two to go straight from where Hadji was going, which is west, you should meet up with my father." She said as she pulled her microphone down away from her mouth. She then reached over to the laptop that was next to hers and pulled up another set of maps. She sighed as she tried to figure out where the Operation room was. She then looked over at Dr. Quest, who was refiguring Rage's computer security.   
  
"This is hopeless, Dr. Quest. There is no operations room on this map." She said sighing in defeat.   
  
Dr. Quest looked over and scanned the detailed over view map of the compound. He then pointed to a place on the map. "What about that big room, isn't that near where Kai was?"  
  
Jessie zoomed in on west section of the map. She then pointed to an adjourning room next to it. "That's the room Kai was in when he was taken hostage." She explained. "So it would make sense that they would probably take him close by, and into that room. Your a genius Dr. Quest!"  
  
Dr. Quest smiled as he went back to what he was working on.  
  
"Okay, Dad, when Jonny and Hadji arrive, I want you to keep heading west, you'll soon be in the area Kai was in." She said.  
  
"West it is!" Race acknowledge.   
  
"And then there was...Light." Dr. Quest said through his walkie just as the lights in the building came on.  
  
"Thanks Pop, not having to stumble our way around helps big time."   
  
"Any time, son, any time."  
  
  
"Well, if it isn't young Mr. Wilson?" Rage said in a mockery tone. "The last time I saw you, you were this tall." He said as he held his hand up to just above his waist.   
  
"Funny, I don't remember you. Trust me, I would remember an ugly face like that." Kai replied back. He was standing face to face with Rage; his arms where handcuffed behind him and on both sides stood a guard.  
  
"Ah, I see you got your father's sense of humor. I wonder if you also got his coldness too?"  
  
"What are you talking about? I knew my father, he wasn't cold."  
  
"Are you sure, boy? Are you willing to doubt one of the people who knew your father the best?"  
  
"Sure, I'll call your bluff." Kai said with confidence.   
  
"Then, would you believe that your father is the one who ordered his men not to come to the aid of my family? Would you believe that your fathers stupidity and cruelness killed my daughter?" Rage said eating up the shocked look on the boys face. "No matter, according to the Book of Rage, he got what he deserved for letting my family die."  
  
  
Race's face went pale as he heard what Rage said. There was no way that Will would've done that. Will wasn't that person, he would've gone above protocol in that situation and save Rage's family. No, it wasn't Will, it couldn't have been Will.   
  
"Okay, my father made on stupid and costly mistake. We all make mistakes." Kai said, trying to bargain with the crazy man. He knew what Rage had planed for him, he knew Rage was going to kill him, he was just trying to buy some time. He didn't want to think about what Rage had said, he just wanted to focus on stopping him from releasing his bomb.   
  
"I hardly call the killings of my wife and daughter a mistake. I call it murder." Rage said.   
  
"O na hôkû no na kiu o ka lani." Kai said as he stared at the insane man.  
  
"Do you dare speak the language that the Book of Rage cannot translate? Tell me, what does that mean, boy?"  
  
"It means, the stars are the spies of heaven. That your family, and mine are watching us as we speak! Do you want your wife and daughter to see you like this?"  
  
"They are happy that they get to see me get revenge for their death!" Rage replied back.  
  
"No they wouldn't. I remember your daughter. She was always happy and didn't have a care in the world. She would be happy to see her father move on and be happy himself. You know my dad was probably acting on order and had no control of things. All you want is revenge on a government, on the people who use to be your friends, but now are the ones who don't remember your name. You know, I could easily say how mad I am at you because you killed my family. Sure, I'm mad, but not enough to kill you. The justice you seek is in a court, not a book that you can quote by." Kai said angrily. He noticed that his words had angered Rage. Just as he was about to continue, Rage came over and punched him in the stomach, using his mechanical metal hand. Kai doubled over in pain. He had been punch in the stomach before, mostly by his peers and a couple of time by his surfboard while he was surfing, but neither had caused this much pain.  
  
  
"Kai," Jessie screamed into her microphone just as she heard him moan in pain.   
  
"I'm, okay." He whispered in pain.   
  
  
"Okay, Jess, we've reached the room where Kai was at before he got captured, but we can't find anything that looks like a door or any way else that leads to a big room."  
  
"What about on your way there?" Dr. Quest asked as he scanned the map looking for any sign of help.  
  
"Negative Pop, there isn't any rooms on the way." Jonny answered.  
  
"Look to the right..."Kai whispered, but was cut off by another voice.  
  
Rage said as he pushed a button on a keyboard that was on the wall behind Kai. Kai looked over to where Rage was looking. The floor opened and a small metal box slowly crept up to where Kai could see it.   
  
"Auê noho`i ê!" Kai said aloud.   
  
"What?" Jessie asked.  
  
"I think I just found the bomb, or a bomb."   
  
"Fur on a catfish." Race replied.  
  
Jessie just sat there, staring at her screen. There was something that Rage said that stood out in her mind. She replayed in her head what she heard him say. 'Come my followers! Gather together for the great banquet. Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and strong worriers; of horses and their riders' and of all humanity.' Everything clicked in place. "Rage just quoted the Bible. The thing he said about the great banquet is in Revelations." She said.  
  
"What?" She heard three people question at the same time.  
  
"She's right, I just cross-referenced the quote with the Bible, and it is, it's Revelations 20:17." Dr. Quest said as he finished cross-referencing the quote.  
  
"What would Rage be doing quoting the Bible?" Jonny asked.  
  
"I believe he thinks he's God." Hadji replied back.  
"Kai, I want you to call him on the Bible." Jessie demanded over her walkie.  
  
  
"So Rage, is times this rough that you have to get your plans from the Bible. I mean, this whole doomsday thing is just a bad Revelations copy. I mean, look at yourself, you can't even come up with your own words without quoting the Bible." Kai said with confidence.   
  
"Do you dare to defy the man who holds you fate by the push of a button?" Rage asked.  
  
"I'm not worried because if I go down, you will too. There's no way that you can make it out of here in time without being blown up." Kai said trying to call his bluff.  
  
"Your just as naive as your father was. You think I would have a powerful bomb like that here with me? What do you take me for, a fool? I have it hidden somewhere in the western hemisphere. This, this small bomb will only blow you, your fellow companions, and this compound up. Leaving my life untouched until I finish my revenge."  
  
"Then what? Retirement?"   
  
Rage laughed. "Like I said, just like your father." He then pressed a red button, which was preceded by a loud horn. The guards who were standing next to Kai left and joined the group of followers who were exiting the building. "Until we meet again, Will." He said as he walked out a door on the other end of the room.   
  
"Any clues on how to stop this thing?" Kai asked as he tried to get his hands free.  
  
"We're working on it. What's the time on the timer?" Dr. Quest asked.  
  
"Oh, less than three minutes."  
  
  
Race pounded on the door. He then looked at his two teammates. "You two, out, now!" He yelled.  
  
"No way Race, not without you, and Kai." Jonny said in protest.  
  
"Do it now!" He said as he pointed his gun towards the two.  
  
"Jonny, I think we should listen to Race." Hadji said as he grabbed his friend, and adopted brother as well.   
  
"Get as far as away as you can." Race yelled as the two ran.  
  
  
"Race, go!" Race heard in his earpiece.  
  
"No way, pal. I promised your father I would watch over you, and I'll be damned if I let something happen to you!" Race screamed back, trying to make his voice loud enough to be heard through the wall.   
  
"Jess, patch me back in. All I hear from Race is father and damned."  
  
"Done!" she quickly replied back.  
  
"I'm not leaving you Kai." Race said.  
  
"I'll be fine, I'm just going to have to go out the same way Rage did." He said. He had given up on trying to get the handcuffs off and instead focused his efforts on trying to push a button by using his foot. The button, which was about five feet above the ground, was shaped like a box, and could be easily missed by the untrained eye. He stepped back and prayed that his kick would be high enough. He then turned to the side and kicked his leg up to the button missing by a few inches. He cursed in his mind as he geared up to try again. He then stood straight up, making his body stand six foot tall, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried again, this time hitting the target straight on. The door slid open.  
  
  
As Race ran down the hallway, he felt a sense of guilt sweep over him. He wasn't sure if he did the right thing by leaving Kai alone to find another way out. He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive himself if Kai didn't make it out. As he made his way out the door, he looked back to see if there was any sign of his godson. He kept running, faster, just as the bomb went off, blowing him passed the metal gate and rolling into the jungle. Race tried to sit up when he noticed two figures running towards him.  
  
  
"No!" Jessie screamed as she tore the headset off from her ear. The sounds from the blast pierced through her head, making her feel like she was at ground zero of the bomb. She placed her hands over her face just as Dr. Quest wrapped his arms around her. The blast had knocked out the network, leaving them without information, and there were no sounds coming from the earpiece.  
  
  
"Kai!" Race yelled without using his walkie-talkie. The blast had not only threw him several feet in the air, but had also damaged his communicator. Jonny and Hadji helped him stand up.   
  
"Dad, we need help out here. The whole place is on fire." Jonny said into his microphone.  
  
  
"How's Race?"  
  
"Banged up and bruised." Hadji said as he looked over the white haired man.  
  
"What about you three?"  
  
"Just us two, so far, Kai hasn't come out yet." Jonny said as the events sank in. He then tried to run towards the burning building, but the fire picked up, forcing him to move farther away.  
  
"One of you two get Race to the jeep and drive him here fast. The other look for any sign of Kai or Rage!" Dr. Quest ordered. He looked down to see Jessie's face in shock.   
"He's alive. I know it." She said trying to sound confidant.   
  
Dr. Quest only nodded.  
  
  
"Hadj, I'll help you get Race back to the jeep. I want you to go back and get Dad, I'll stay here and try to find Kai." Jonny said as he helped Hadji get Race to stand. "How are you doing Race?"   
  
"I'm fine, let me go look for him."  
  
"Oh no Race, we can not let you do that until you see a doctor." Hadji said.  
  
"Look Hadj, I've been in a lot worse conditions than this."  
  
"Yeah Race, and you were a lot younger then too!" Jonny said with his trademark lopsided grin. As the three got closer to the jeep, they noticed a figure sitting in the drivers side.   
  
"It's about time!" They heard from the man in the jeep.  
  
"Fur on a catfish." Race said. He was surprised to see the person who was waiting on them.  
  
"Are you for real, or is this my imagination?" Hadji asked.  
  
"I'm here, in the flesh and blood, and metal." He said as he held his cuffed hands up in the air. "Well, I don't know about you three, but I'm ready to get these cuffs off and go home." He said with a smile.  
  
  
"Boys, the Peruvian army is on their way to help contain the situation. Have you found any trace of Kai yet?" Dr. Quest asked with hope. Even though the teen had been living with him for a couple of months, he had already come to love the boy as one of his own.  
  
"Yeah, pop. We found Kai." Dr. Quest heard his son say. He then looked over to Jessie, who was quickly picking up her headset that she had thrown down.   
  
"Is he okay?" She asked in a semi calm voice.  
  
"He's fine. Plus he's earned himself his first souvenir, a pair of handcuffs." 


	8. The Encircle

This is the last, and final chapter of The Promises We Make. This never did make it to Beta, so it might have some mistakes. But after chatting with Peggy and Jessie, I decided to send it out anyways! Please enjoy! And thank-you to all who have commented and has encouraged me to finish my story!   
  
Archivers: Sure just tell me where.  
  
The Promises We Make: Epilogue  
By Kara   
  
  
The wind picked up as Kai stood on a cliff that overlooked the edge of the water that held the last breaths of the sun. He breathed a heavy sigh as his body ached from the events that took place the previous day.   
  
  
"Were going to make a quick stop in Hawaii for a quick fill up, and then we are on our way home." Race said from the pilots chair.   
  
"You don't have to get out of the plane if you don't want, Kai." Jonny said with his trademarked lopsided grin. "I'm sure Hadji will teach you how to meditate."   
  
"I'll keep that in mind," Kai said, not removing his gaze from his window.  
  
"You know, Kai, meditation is a good way to keep in contact with your spirit, and the spirit of your ancestors."  
  
"Thanks, but, no thanks." He said.   
  
He felt somewhat relieved when they landed in Hawaii. It was near 8pm and Kai had only slept a few hours. They had landed at the airport, the same airport that he left almost two months ago to start his life over again.   
  
"Race, next time you decide to give someone an ultimatum, follow through on your promises. I've been waiting here for an hour for you two!" Kai said as he walked out of the shadows of the hanger.   
  
"Kai! Your coming?" Jessie exclaimed. "How did you know this was our hanger?"   
"Look around you, how many other jets do you see that have a big Q on them? Only one, so I put two and two together and took a wild guess hoping that this was yours.   
  
"So, what made you decide to come?" She asked as she hugged him.  
  
"I decided that it is about time that I move on, and I mean, move on!" Kai said as he hugged her back.   
  
  
Kai smiled. How little did he know of all the things that would happen with that decision. It seemed reasonable at the time, and currently, it was the smartest decision he had ever made. He looked down to see the beach where he and Jessie had talked in private. It was his families beach, his own private surfing area, and his own quiet hang out.  
  
  
"Did you get my letter?" Kai asked, breaking the silence that had plagued them since they left the visitation. They had ended up on the outer skirts of his private beach, well away from visitors. The private beach, which had been inherited, had been passed down through four generations. The beach was spacious, and stretched to almost a mile long.   
  
"Huh," Jessie said, hoping to change the subject.   
  
"The letter, the one I sent last year. Did you get it?" He asked again. He looked at her and brushed his sandy blonde hair away from his eyes.  
  
"Oh, that letter. Yeah, I got it."  
  
"So, why didn't you write me back?"   
  
  
Nothing had changed since he had left. He turned around and faced the house that was a few hundred yards away. He could see that everything was the same since he left. As he walked back towards the main house, he could see the wooden deck that he and Race had walked up so they could have a private conversation. As he walked up to the door, he traced his fingers around the sign that was carved out of wood, it was a gift from his grandparents when they moved into the house. His grandfather had made it and it said, Wilson's. He then reached over and picked up the flowerpot that was sitting on a table next to the door. He then shifted through the dirt, pulled out a key, and wiped the dirt off of it. He then sat the plant down and preceded to unlock the door. When he heard the metal sound of the lock pushing pulling to an upright position, he placed his hand on the carved sign and pushed the door open. As his eyes pierced through the damp musty air, memories floated through his head.   
  
  
"So, in other words, your my guardian?" Kai asked.   
  
"Bingo. So, you have a choice, you can stay here, try and make it alone, or you can move in with the Quest family, which is where Jessie and I live, and live with us."   
  
"The Quest family?"   
  
"I'm Dr. Benton Quest's son's bodyguard. I live with the Quest's and I'm part owner of Quest Enterprise. If you do decide to live with us, which you are more than welcome to do, you will be living in Rockport Maine, and periodically travel around the world. Dr. Quest's son, Jonny, is a year younger than you and his adopted son, Hadji is a year older than you. "   
  
"I know who Dr. Benton Quest is. My dad was always pointing him out saying that you were there, and saying how proud he was to be your friend." Kai said in a sarcastic voice. He then sighed as he looked into Race's eyes, seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with his attitude. "Don't you think this is a bit sudden?"   
  
"Yes, and I am giving you twenty four hours to decide. At that point, the government is going to take control and issue you a bodyguard." "Why?" Kai asked. This was the first he had heard about all of this.   
  
"They think your parents death wasn't an accident. The discovered that the plane had been tampered with, and that whoever it was, had loosened a part in the wings, making the plane harder to control in rainy weather conditions that your father flew in. The government boys also believe that whoever was after your father, will be after you next."   
  
"Things just keep getting better and better."   
  
He looked at his living room as he walked over to his couch. He then traced his fingers across the fabric upholstery, leaving his hand over the place where his dad always sat.   
  
"Hey son, how was school today," Will said, with his head twisted trying to see his son put his backpack by the door.   
  
"Same old same old" Kai said, he then picked up his surfboard, which was laying next to the wall. "I think I'm going to go catch some waves."   
  
"Have fun. Don't forget, your mother and I are leaving in a few hours."   
  
"Have fun! See you when you get back."   
  
"See ya son!"   
  
Kai wiped a tear away from his eye. That was the last time he saw his dad. Sitting on that couch, the same couch Race sat on when he gave him his options. Kai then turned around and walked towards the hall, which was located at the end of the room. As he walked down the hall, he glanced at the photos that littered the wall. All pictures of people looking happy. When he reached the room at the end of the hall, he pushed open the door and walked in. The room was spacious and had a window that was located straight on the other side of the room from the door. He walked to the window, that overlooked the ocean. It was the only bedroom in the large house that had a window that overlooked the ocean He then turned around and walked over to his desk, which was on the right side of the room. He then picked up his guitar, which he left behind due to space. He sat down on his bed and strummed the tune his father had taught him. It was a simple tune that his father had made up using bits and parts of music from other songs. He then laid the guitar on his bed as his eyes caught sight of a picture of him and all his friends in a picture frame on the shelf that was built into his bed. He picked the picture up and stared at it. All faces that at one time cared about him, but forgot about him in after two months. Or maybe it was the other way around, he thought. Maybe he forgot about them.   
  
  
"Where is he?" Jonny complained as he unbuckled his seat belt for the fifth time. He was bored and decided that his seat belt, the kind that strapped over your chest in the shape of an X, was a fun way to annoy people.   
  
"Son, how many times have I told you to stop messing with your seat belt?"   
  
"I don't know Dad, I lost track after 100."   
  
"I wish you would lose track of that habit."   
  
"No can do Jess, it's embedded and it's staying there." He said with a lopsided grin as he buckled his seat belt again.   
  
"Maybe I should go find him." Jessie said as she got up from her seat and headed towards the door.   
  
"Good idea sweetheart." Race said as he checked his flight controls.   
  
"Seat belt on, seat belt off." Jonny said in a child like demeanor, demonstrating what he was saying.  
  
"I am very fortunate that I have a high tolerance for your ideas of fun." Hadji said as he turned the page of the book he was reading.  
  
  
"My surfboard." Kai said as he picked up one of his prized surfboards. It was his first surfboard and it had taken him months of persuading before his dad gave in and bought him one. It was yellow and had a blue stripe down the middle. It wasn't the most impressive surfboards, but, it was his favorite. He decided to leave it behind, fearing that there wouldn't be any room for it and it might get damaged, so he took a newer one, one he was less attached to. He looked above his surfboard, at the heavily decorated wall, full of awards and pictures of him surfing. He wasn't the best at what he did, but he loved every moment of it. He then placed his surfboard down and walked over towards his left wall, which was where all his movies and his TV was. Above his TV was a poster for his favorite movie series, Back to the Future. He loved the three movies that featured Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.   
  
"You mean to tell me, you built a time machine, out of a DeLorean?" Jessie quoted as she leaned against the door frame, looking into the room. When she walked in to the room, she noticed him staring at his movie posters. She knew it was his favorite movie, and could remember when they were six, his mom took them to go see the second movie together.   
  
"The way I see it, if your going to build a time machine in a car, you might as well do it in style." Kai quoted in return without turning around. He could hear her as she walked up to him from the door. "How long have you been there?"   
  
"A few seconds, long enough for me to pick the perfect quote to say." She said with a smile.   
  
"I guess your here to come and get me?"   
  
"You guessed right, but your welcome to stay if you want. We'll understand."  
  
"Nah, I started over, remember? And I'll be darned if I don't finish my new life!" He said as he turned around to look at her in the face. "Besides, I'm going to graduate in a few weeks!"  
  
Jessie smiled. She wasn't sure what she was suppose to say to him. She could feel that he was breaking up inside, yet, she wasn't sure if what she was feeling was just herself acting how he should be acting in this situation. She was surprised when he turned around with a smile on his face. He then walked back over to his bed, picked up his guitar, and motioned for her to head towards the door.  
  
"You ready?" He asked in a calm voice.  
  
"Whenever you are."  
  
The two walked back slowly, Just before Kai reached the edge of his property, he looked back to the ocean. "A hui hou, Rage." He whispered. "Until we meet again..."  
  
C and C's welcomed!   
  
Thank-you all for taking part in my story! 


End file.
